everyday thoughts on all things. you know... why is the grass green, the sky blue? why don't people use their turn signals? did i really mean to say what i just said? what are dust bunnies? fun things... little things... everyday things... simple ponderings...

Monday, March 15, 2010

modern technology

do you have any idea what this is?

go ahead....take a guess.

anybody?

here's a clue: it's inserted into your body...into a blood vessel.

did that help? no?

if not, i'll tell you. it's an ivc filter, aka inferior vena cava filter. a device that sort of looks like an umbrella without the nylon - kind of - that is meant to prevent blood clots from passing through your heart and/or lungs, also known as pulmonary emboli.

isn't that amazing? it doesn't really look at all like it would be able to do that yet it has a 95% accuracy rate. that's astounding.

i now have one of these nifty devices in me. it's sitting just below my belly button and should protect me from incidents of pulmonary emboli....for which i am extremely grateful.

i am also grateful for dr. lazar greenfield who pioneered the filter after one of his patients died from a pulmonary embolism.

dr. greenfield worked with an inventor, garman kimmell, who made valves and other devices for oil and gas wells, trapping sludge in pipelines. two brilliant minds together came up with an unlikely gadget for the human body that proved remarkably successful.

it has evolved over the years and there are many different options available now; ones that can be removed versus remaining permanently in your body. modern technology...modern miracles.

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i like to dream. big things can happen if you dream. i've always dreamed of being a writer. what about now? my dream isn't just gonna happen, though. it needs action. maybe i should ponder that! in my dreams...